Sheet-metal box.



B. NORTON.

SHEET METAL BQX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1906.

'Patentqd Nov. 25, 1913.

5 v MIG/W027 I B) W COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,\\'/\smNGTuN, D. c.

EDWIN ivon'ron, or NEW x'oRK', Y.

SHEE'LMET AL BOX,

Specification of Letters iatent. I Patented N 25 1913,

Applicatio n filed March 6, 1906. Serial No. 304,508.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN NORTON, citi-' zen of the United States, residing at borough of Manhattan, in the countyofNew York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Boxes, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to sheet metal boxes,

used for packing sardines and other articles.

The bodies of such boxes are commonly stamped up in a single piece, of tin plate", or other sheet metal coated with a noncorrosive substance, and the one piece covers are attached, after the box is filled, by double seaming without the use of solder.

My invention consists in a new construction by which an improved box, with certain great advantages is produced; for instance, a much stronger seam is obtained insuring a tight closure to prevent leakage, access of air to the contents, etc.; the box bodies may be nested occupying the smallest space, so that they may be made at themost convenient place of'manufacture'and transported to the place of use, without excessive freight charges, etc.; the packed and closed boxes may be opened conveniently by the purchaser without the use of a can opener, key or other special tool.

The important features of my invention are to construct the boxes with slightly flaring sides and to provide the usual horizontal flange at the top of the box with a downturned continuation or supplementary flange, which, in nesting the bodies for storage, transportation, etc., rests on the horizontal flange of the box below, permitting the nesting of thebodies in convenient large numbers, and yet preventing the wedging of the bodies together, which made it difficult to separate them.

When the covers are applied and the boxes closed, the cover flange is bent around the supplementary flange and they are turned together against the body,'producing a strong, tight and rigid seam, whichnot only insures against leakage but braces and strengthens the entire box,a point of great importance in boxes which are made of the lightest possible sheet metal and packed in large quantities to be transported long jdistances, by various kinds of carriage and under trying circumstances. Heretofore to reinforce such boxes they have commonly been provided with a bead at the lower margin T cprovide a simple" means for open1ng these boxes,I form them with a bead not at the margin but slightly within it and with a narrow shoulder, and score the bottom ,ofthe body between the bead and the side, which does not weaken the box for its main purpose. Thebox may then easily be opened by striking on the bead, whereby the bottom is separated along the score.

My invention is shown applied to a desirable form of box body in the drawings herewith, in which the reference numerals of the specification indicate the corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a cross section showingnested bodies. Fig. 2 is a bottom tion ofthe flanges in the process of applying and securing the cover. Fig. 6 shows a slight modification in the form of the seam. Fig. 7 is an enlarged, partial section of the bottom showing the position of the score. Fig. 8' shows a flange of the prior art to illustrate the importance of my invention.

In the figures, 1 indicates the box body struck up of onepiece with flaring sides 2 and the marginal flange 3 provided with the extra flange 4 downturnedtherefrom at a right angle, or more or less. 5, is the bead on the bottom 6, set in from the corner 7, to leave a small shoulder 8. All'this is effected at one operation. 39 -9, more or less, is a desirable angle for the tapering sides; about one-eighth inch a desirable width for the top flange, and about one-sixteenth inch a desirable depth for the extra flange. A score 9 is made in the bottom between the bead and the side. This is preferably continuous in the inner surface of the bottom, but may be made in the exterior, or in some cases, as where heavier sheet metal is used,

opposite s'cores may be made in both surfaces. The side of the bead next the score may be made somewhat straighter than the other side,

12 ;in'dicates the cover, having the horizontal flange 13 wider than the combined width of the twobody flanges. When the cover is set in place, its flange is bent over and around the body flanges by any suitable machine, and the supplementary flange is rolled into the joint or seam, acting as a packing strip to increase the strength and; tightness. The operations of closing are indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. By complan of a body. Figs. 8, 4 and 5 are enlarged, partial sections showing the various steps and posiparing the finished seam" of Fig. 5, g with leakage.

of the seaming rollers. 1

in the form of the finished seam in which the cover flange merely overlaps the supple mentary body fiange lbut I'prefer the seam of Figs. ti and 5, :in which the body flange is rolled 'around the supplementary flange to gite an additional lock, and forming a seam of five thicknesses. I

- By reference particularly toJiigs. 2 and i 6, itiwillbe seen how theibox may 'be opened parts, or to use without solder.

"Copies of this patent may'be obtained for to any desired extent by inwerting the box and striking sharp blows alongsthe bead,

v-for instance with a stone. .The tapering side will act as an abutment or. resistance to the blows, and the bottom will be sheared along the score, and will clear the side, if forced in more or 'less.

While I have :showna sardine box commonly made rectangular with rounded cor- :ners, yet it will'be understoodthat I do not limit. myself to applying my invention to any particular form of box or vessel, .or to the exactiorm and arrangement of the For instance, it the objectshould be merely the vprevention ot wedging :in nested boxes, a different form of downturned projection might be substituted for the supplementary flan.ge.- I amaware that tin pans :have been 'nested, but the objection to the wedgi'ng ':(with the diflicult-y of separation and with injury to the boxes), in connection with 7 7 boxes of the kind here particularly referred the old seamshown in Fig. 8, it will be understood that my construction not 'only' I strengthens the seam but insures againstv The angle bet-ween the horizon-b tal flange and the supplementary flange may 7 be slightly roundffavoring the operation to has proved so great that the boxes have heretofore been made with straight sides preventing nesting, and it was necessary to 'man'ufaeture the boxes, often uneconomically, near the'place of use.

Having thus described my invention, what V Ic'lai-m as new and desire to secure my Let- In Fig.6 1s shown a sllght modificationters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a

sheet metal box having the bottom t-hereof "formed with an outwardly extending bead projecting beyond the plane of the bottom, and locatedslightly inwardly from the side of the bottom of the box, and a continuous score on the inner face of the bottom between said bead and the side of the box.

As a new article of manufacture, a sheet-metal box formed of a single piece of metal and having an outwardly extending bead formed in its bottom, said bead projecting beyond the plane of the bottom, and being located slightly inwardly of the side wall of the box, the side wall of the bead adjacent the side wall; of the 'box being at substantially right angles to the bottom of the box, whereby said wall of the bead and the side wall of the box extend in substantially the same general direction, said bottom being formed with a score adjacentsaid bead and between it and the side wall of the box.

In testimony-whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN NORTON.

Witnesses:

ALPHONSE KLoH, J. R. MILLXVARD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, WashingtonQD. G. 

